Cosmetic Surgery & The Halo Effect
by Michelle Elkins
Having cosmetic surgery like breast enlargement and rhinoplasty not only improves external appearances but can help to give a confidence boost. Could this be down to more than just a personal change in attitude however?
According to decades of research a phenomenon known as the "halo effect" could be responsible. When we look at those who are phsycially blessed, unconsciously we bestow them with a whole gamut of internal positive qualities as well.
The effect means that good-looking people are considered to be healthier, nicer, smarter and more trustworthy, while others feel more disposed to help them. Employers are more likely to take them over another applicant, all other things being equal, while beautiful people tend to have greater success at work and are better financially rewarded.
The connection was first established by American psychologist Edward L. Thorndike who provided empirical research to back up the halo effect in a study he published in 1920. In it he asked a group of commanding officers to rate the soldiers in their charge. He established that there was an unconscious bias towards seeing the individuals as either entirely good or bad, whereby the perception of one particular trait can influence the perception of that person as a whole.
As a person's physical appearance is usually the first major trait people pick up on, this is often the most influential and is why celebrities and models are used to endorse products. This doesn't mean that negatives attributes will not be taken into account, it may just take a little longer for those traits to be acknowledged as people considered more attractive are given a greater benefit of the doubt.
Unfortunately though we are all guilty of doing this to some degree or another because the effect is unconscious so we are unaware of when it is happening. Even when it is pointed out, most people are unable to accept that their positive (or negative in the case of the reverse halo effect) perception coloured their whole view of someone.
This was discovered by social psychologist Richard Nisbett in a study in the 1970s. In it a group of students were split in two where one group was shown a video of a lecturer who was friendly and pro-student and the second group viewed a video of the same lecturer but using a cold, harsh manner. They were then asked to rate the lecturer on the way that he looked among other things and unsurprisingly the second group considered the lecturer to be far less attractive.
However when the students were told about the study, most refused to accept that their judgement of the lecturer's appearance was based purely on that and not on their perception of his other characteristics. On the plus side it does show that a winning personality can go a considerable way to raising your attractiveness stakes.
Click here if you would like to make an appointment to see a cosmetic surgeon.
Having cosmetic surgery like breast enlargement and rhinoplasty not only improves external appearances but can help to give a confidence boost. Could this be down to more than just a personal change in attitude however?
According to decades of research a phenomenon known as the "halo effect" could be responsible. When we look at those who are phsycially blessed, unconsciously we bestow them with a whole gamut of internal positive qualities as well.
The effect means that good-looking people are considered to be healthier, nicer, smarter and more trustworthy, while others feel more disposed to help them. Employers are more likely to take them over another applicant, all other things being equal, while beautiful people tend to have greater success at work and are better financially rewarded.
The connection was first established by American psychologist Edward L. Thorndike who provided empirical research to back up the halo effect in a study he published in 1920. In it he asked a group of commanding officers to rate the soldiers in their charge. He established that there was an unconscious bias towards seeing the individuals as either entirely good or bad, whereby the perception of one particular trait can influence the perception of that person as a whole.
As a person's physical appearance is usually the first major trait people pick up on, this is often the most influential and is why celebrities and models are used to endorse products. This doesn't mean that negatives attributes will not be taken into account, it may just take a little longer for those traits to be acknowledged as people considered more attractive are given a greater benefit of the doubt.
Unfortunately though we are all guilty of doing this to some degree or another because the effect is unconscious so we are unaware of when it is happening. Even when it is pointed out, most people are unable to accept that their positive (or negative in the case of the reverse halo effect) perception coloured their whole view of someone.
This was discovered by social psychologist Richard Nisbett in a study in the 1970s. In it a group of students were split in two where one group was shown a video of a lecturer who was friendly and pro-student and the second group viewed a video of the same lecturer but using a cold, harsh manner. They were then asked to rate the lecturer on the way that he looked among other things and unsurprisingly the second group considered the lecturer to be far less attractive.
However when the students were told about the study, most refused to accept that their judgement of the lecturer's appearance was based purely on that and not on their perception of his other characteristics. On the plus side it does show that a winning personality can go a considerable way to raising your attractiveness stakes.
Click here if you would like to make an appointment to see a cosmetic surgeon.
Labels: beauty, breast enlargement, cosmetic surgery, rhinoplasty
posted by Rubicon Medical at
12:55 PM
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